Machine for sorting heel-lifts.



E. E. WiNKLEY.

MACHINE FOR SORTING HEEL UFTS.

APPUCATJON FILED APR. 6. m2. RENEWED MAY 18,1916.

l m wao Patented July 24, 1917.

ISHEETS-SHEET I E. E. WlNKLEY.

MACHINE FOR SORTING HEEL LIFTS.

APPLICATION man APR. 6. 1912. RENEWED MAY 18,1916.

1,%3%,4$39 I Patented July 24, 1917.

I 1 ZSHEETS-SHEET 2. 355

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E, E. WiNKLEYf MACHINE FOR SORTING HEEL LIFTS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6. 1912. RENEWED MAY 18,1916.

LQ34,3& Patented July 24, 1917.

7SHEETSSHEET 3- E. E. WINKLEY.

MACHINE FOR SORTING HEEL LIFTS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6. m2. RENEWED MAY 18.1916- LQMASSO Patented July 24, 1917.

7SHEETS-SHEET 4.

E. E. WINKLEY.

MACHINE FOR SORTING HEEL LIFTS.

' APPLICATION FILED APR.6. 1912. RENEWED MAY is. 1916.

lfiMAES. Patented July 24, 1917.

W J 7SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Q) I I E. E. WINKLEY.

MACHINE FOR SORTING HEEL LIFTS. APPLlCATION FILED APR. 6, 19:2. RENEWED MAY 18. 1916.

1 3 433 Patented July 24, 1917.

ISHEETSSHEET 6.

oirrreia MACHINE FOR SORTING HEEL-LIFTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24, 191?.

Application filed Aprils, 1912, Serial No. 689,030. Renewed May 18, 1916. Serial No. 98,437.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERASTUS E. VVINKLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Sorting Heel-Lifts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full. clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it a )pertains to make and use the same.

his invention relates to a machine for grading pieces of shoe stock of various kinds, more particularly lifts. The uses of the invention will be elucidated in connection with. its application to the problem of sorting heel lifts.

In the manufacture of shoes it is customary to prepare heels foapplication to the shoes by dinking out a number of heel shaped lifts fron'rsuitable heel stock, assembling the dinked out lifts in a pile and sub jecting the pile to several tons of pressure to form asubstantially integral heel-blank.

In making a quantity of shoes of the same size and style it is desirable that the heel blanks prepared for application thereto be uniform in height, for the sake of appearance, andv particularly for comfort to the wearer. Heretofore the heel-lifts have been graded according to thickness, and for any given height of heel a heel body has been built of a definite number of lifts of a particular thickness, and the heel body has then been compressed to increase itsdensity. The present commercial heel compressing niachines are constructed insuch manner as to operate the compressing dies through a positive train of mechanism, which imparts a definite movcn'ient to said dies and reduces all heel-blanks delivered from the machine, for any particular setting of the dies, to the same height, thus gaining the desired result just adverted to. But those skilled in the art have long recognized a serious disadvantage accompanying this method of making heel blanks. Obviously, because of the original variation in density of the lifts, and of the consequent varying pressure exerted on the heel bodies by the compressing machine, it has been impossible to compress all heel blanks to a uniform density. Uniformity in density is highly desirable for all heel blanks of the same size or style, because then the expansion of the material, which occurs after the blanks are ejected from the compressing dies, will be uniform, and the uniformity in, height determined by the heel compressing operation will be maintained. Under the old method, when the expanded heel blanks are attached to the two shoes of a pair, it frequently happens, due to the heel measuring and pressure applying operations employed in heel attaching machines, that uniformity in height is lacking. A further advantage secured by uniform density in two heels of a single pair resides in the resultant uniform wear of the heels. Although hcel lifts may be originally of the same thickness, as already stated, the differ widely in original density, so much so that they compress differently under the pressure exerted on them by the heel-blank COll'lPIOSS- ing machine. This is due to the widely dif- .fcrent characteristics of the stock used by manufacturers for heel lifts. It will readily be appreciated, for example, that the density of the stock taken from the back of a leather side varies greatly from that taken from the belly of the same side. This led to the discovery that by taking density into account,'as well as thickness, in grading the heel-lifts, they may be so graded that those of the same grade have substantially the same mass, and when reduced to substantially the same thickness will also be compressed to a substantially uniform density. It is believed the present inventor is the first to have conceived the idea of grading heel-lifts, or analogous pieces of shoe-stock, not merely in accordance with their several original thicknesses. but rather in accordance with the products of their several thicknesses and their respective densities, thereby grading them substantially in accordance with mass, or, more specifically, in accordance with mass per unit of area.

The object of the present invention is to produce a machine for sorting pieces of shoe stock, for example heel lifts, in accordance with some special. characteristic thereof, and particularly in accordance with mass as determined by the original thickness and the density of the piece.

With this object in view, one feature of the invention contemplates the provision. in a machine for sorting heel lifts and other pieces of shoe stock, of means for determining the thickness of the individual pieces being operated upon when subjected to a like (JOITIPIBSSiOIl, and means for thereafter utilizing such determination. It will be undcrstood that for the most exact results the pressure exerted on the pieces should be sufficient to change their original varying densities to a substantially uniform or maxi.- mum density throughout the compressed areas. I11 its broader aspects the invention contem )lates utilizing such determination in any manner found desirable or expedient. For instance, the degree or value of the characteristic determined may be indicated to an operative visually or aurally, so that the operative may be enabled to distribute the pieces in appropriate containers in accordance with such indications. In the preferred form of the invention the value of the determination is utilized to automatically store the pieces face to face in stacks, each stack then containing pieces having substantially the same mass, provided the pieces operated upon are of substantially the same area. This forms an important feature of the invention.

In addition to the feature of the invention above referred to, other features of the invention consist in certain devices, combinations and arrangements of parts as fully set forth hereinafter, the advantages of which will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

The various features of the present invention will be readily understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, in which,

Figure 1' is a right side elevation of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan;

Fig. 3 is a. vertical sectional elevation on the line 3 3, Fig. 2, the lower portion of the machine being cut away;

Fig. l is a sectional plan on the line l-+l, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan on the line 5-5, Fig. twelve of the connections between the selectors and the indicators being omitted for the sake of clearncss of illustration;

Fig. (5 is a sectional plan on the line 6-43, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 is a front elevation. partly in section. of the lower portion of the machine.

The main features of the preferred form of the invention, as designed for sorting heel lifts, may be briefly described as follows: The machine is provided with a rotary carrier having sixteen receptacles which are conveniently. though not necessarily, in the form of compartments each shaped to hold a heel lift. This carrier is intermittently rotated to bring each compartment successively to a station, which may be termed, for convenience. the loading station, where the lifts are placed in the compartn'ients. In the illustrated machine the loading sta tion is kept supplied by the operator although the invention, as defined by the appended claims, is not limited to supplying the machine by hand. Each lift supplied to the loading station is advanced first to a station called, for convenience, the mass detecting station, and thereafter to one of fourteen stations called, for convenience storage stations. A compressing plunger at the mass detecting station cooperates with a pressure member at the other side of the lift to exert a predetermined pressure over a portion of its area. As the pressure on each lift is the smile, the compressed portion of each lift is thus condensed to substantially the same density, although the thickness of the pressed area will vary in accordance with variations in the original thickness and density of the lifts. This thickness of the portion of the lift under pressure,\\-'hich may conveniently be termed the mass cha 'acteristic of each lift, is indicated by an indicator associated with each lift compartment. A normally inoperative selector, for storing the lifts, is located at each storage station. \Vhen, during the rotation of the carrier, a lift is advanced to a station reserved for the storage of lifts having the same mass characteristic as the advancing lift, the selector is connected, by the indicator traveling with the lift, with an actuator common to the indicators and selectors, which actuates the selector to store the lift. In this way all pieces having the same mass per unit of area are assembled together regardless of variations in either original thickness or density. After storing any lift the indication on its indicator is inmiediately destroyed, so that there will be no danger of unnecessarily actuating other selectors associated with other storstations. Just before the indicator again reaches the mass detecting station it is prepared to indicate the mass characteristic of a new lift.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the lifts to be graded are loaded at the loading station, one by one, on a. rotary, circular carrier 1 (Figs. 2, 3, and 4) having means at its periphery for supporting the lifts which, as shown best in Fig. l, may be heel-lift shaped compartments. This carrier is then intermittently rotated to register each lift so loaded, first with the mass detecting station, and then with one of the fourteen successive storage stations. The lift carrier 1 is provided with a central hub 2 (Fig. 3) loosely mounted on a vertical shaft 3, hereinafter termed the actuator,'and supported by a hub 4 on a stationary plate 5. The periphery of the carrier 1 is also provided with a depending flange 6 which is supported by av series of rolls 7 (Figs. 1 and 3) carried between lugs 8 projecting from the stationary plate 5. The periphery of the plate 5 is formed with four bosses J (Figs. 1 and 5) each of which is clamped between two sleeves 10 and 11 on a vertical rod 12. Above the carrier 1 is an. upper frame member in the form of a cover plate 13 provided with four bosses 11 (Figs. 1 and 2) each of which is clamped to the sleeve 10 by a nut 15 on the upper end of the rod 12.

The plate 13 is formed with an opening 16 which forms the loading station. In the operation of the machine the carrier 1 is intermittently rotated in a clockwise direction (viewing Fig. 2) to successively register its empty compartments with the opening in the plate 13. Each time that a compartment is registered with the opening 16 'a lift is placed in the compartment, either by hand or by some suitable form of automatic heel lift delivering mechanism, preferably the latter.

In order to rotate the carrier 1 from the actuator 3 to successively register the com-- partments with the loading station, the car rier 1 supports three vertical pins 17 Figs. 3 and 4) arranged to slide through openings formed in a triangular spider 18 suitably secured to the actuator 3. The lowerend of the vertical actuator 3 is supported for rotation and reciprocation in a bearing 19 (Figs. 1 and 7) formed in an angular bracket 20, one end of which is secured to a plate 21 forming one side' of the square frame of the machine, and the other end of which is secured to the base plate 22 of the machine. The actuator 3 carries a gear wheel which is alternately engaged by an actuating rack 24 to rotate the actuator, and by a locking rack 25 to lock the actuator from movement. The actuating rack 2 L secured to a shaft 26 mounted to reciprocate substantially in the plane of the gear 23 through bearings 27 formed in the machine frame. The locking rack is loosely mounted for rocking movement on the shaft 26, and is held from longitudinal movement on the shaft by engagement with the bearings 27. The locking rack 25 is provided with arms 28 and 29 which embrace the actuating rack 24 so that when the locking rack isjrocked to lock the actuator 3 from rotary movement the actuating rack is rocked out of engagement with the gear 23, and when the locking rack 25 is rocked to unlock the actuator 3 to permit rotary movement, the actuating rack is rocked into engagement with the gear 23.

In order to rock the locking rack .25 into and out of engagement with the gear 23 it is provided with an arm 30 which is connected. through a link 31, to an arm 32 pivotally mounted between lugs 33 formed on the plate 21. The arm 32 carries a roll 34; engaged in a groove formed in the face of a cam 35 on a cam shaft 36. Through the connections described the rack 25 is rocked to bring it and the rack 24 alternately into engagement with the gear 23.

After the actuating rack 24: has been rocked into engagement with the gear 23 in the manner described, it is reciprocated to rotate the gear 23 and impart an angular step to the carrier 1. To this end the rack 21 is engaged by a segment 37 (Figs. 1 and 7) formed on an arm projecting from a hub 38 pivoted on a pin 39 secured to the machine frame. Another arm 40 projecting from the hub 38 carries a roll 11 engaged in a groove formed in the face of a cam +12 on the cam shaft 36.

This type of intermittent feed is fully described and claimed in United States Patent No. 1,181,091, granted April 25, 1919, to the present inventor.

At each rotative step of the (mrricralift is ad vanced from the loading station 16 to the mass detecting station imlicatedat 43 (Figs. 2 and 3). The mass characteristic of each lift is detected by a pair of coiilpcrating compressing members which are relatively actuated to compress a portion only of the lift. The central portion of the lift is selected for this operation, as here shown, because when there is a variatimi in thickness in different parts of the same lift, a condition quite frequently met, a leteri'nination of the mass characteristic at the center will give a result which is a good average for the whole lift. As shown in Fig. 3, the compressing instrumentalities comprise a stationary member 44, formed by a solid portion of the plate 13, and a movable plunger 45 arranged to operate through an opening 46 in the bottom plate of each of the compartmcnts. The plunger 45 reciprocatcs through a vertical bearing 17 formed on the plate5, and is comiected at its lower end, through a link 4-3, to one end of a lever l!) pivoted on a bracket 50 depending from the plate 5. The other end of the lever is formed as a yoke 51, tl arms of which carry rolls which engage an annular groove formed in a collar 53 loosely mounted on the actuator 3. The upper portion of the actuator 3 is hollow (see Fig. 3) to loosely receive a block 54 which is secured to the collar 53 by a pin 55 (Fig. 7) 'mssing through slots 56 formed in the actuator 3. Interposed between the block 5-1- and an adjustable plug 57 (Fig. 3) threaded into the upper end of the actuator 3, is a long and strong spring 58. This swing is preferably of sull'icient strength to subject the portion of the lift engaged by the plunger 45 to a pressure at least equal to that which the whole lift will receive in the usual hcelblank compressing machine. For instance, if the portion of the lift engaged by the pllu'iger is 2,- of the lift surface, then the strength of the spring 53 may be part of J the pressure occurring in the compressing machine.

To separate the compressing members 44: and 45 the actuator 33 is elevated, which relieves the block 54. and collar 53 of the tension of the spring 58. When the actuator is depressed, the spring 58 is gradually placed under tension, and the plunger 45 is thus actuated to compress the central portion of the lift against the plate ll. lV hen the pressure exerted by the lift between the compressing members 4-1 and 4:5 equals the strength to which the spring 58 has been set the collar 53 is held stationary, the pin and slot connection between the actuator and the collar permitting a continued depression of the actuator.

In order to ele ate and depress the actuator a collar 59 (see dotted lines Figs. 1 and 7), fixed to the actuator above the bearii'ig 19, is provided with an annular groove (30 which is engaged by two rolls 61 (Figs. 1, (S and 7) carried by a yoke (32 formed on a lever 63 pivoted to the plate 21. Intermediate its ends the lever (53 is pivoted to the upper end of a link (3 the lower end of which is pivoted to a link 65, which, in turn, is pivoted to a bra ket 66 depending from the bottom plate 22. The pivot pin connecting the links 64 and (35 is extended in the form of a roll (37 (see Fig. 7) which engages a groove formed in the face of a cam (38 on the cam shaft 36. It will be observed that the links (34 and 65 form a toggle which is operated by the cam 68.

I11 order to afford a guide for the sorting of the lifts so that all lifts of the same mass will be stored in the same stack, it is desir able to indicate in some manner the mass characteristic of each lift as detected at the mass detecting station -13. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the values of the mass characteristics of the lifts are indicated by a series of vertical pins (39 (Figs. 3, l and 5) slidably mounted in suitably bored bosses formed in the carrier 1 adjacent each lift compartment. As each of the lifts is registered with the mass detection station 43 the pin (39 associated with the lift is brought directly over a '1')lunger 71 slidably mounted in the bracket 50. The shank of the plunger is formed as a rack 72 which is engaged by a segment 73 formed on an arm 74 pivoted on a bracket 75 depending from the plate 5. The rear end of the arm 74 is connected through a link 76 to the rear end of the lever 49, the construction being such that when the plunger 45 is actuated to detect the mass characteristic of a lift the plunger 71 is actuated through an equal distance to elevate the pin 69. The pin is retained at the position to which it has been so moved by a spring pressed plunger 77 arranged to frictionally engage the surface of the pin. With this form of indicator the mass characteristic indications vary inversely with the height of the pins above the plate 5, that is to say, the more the pins are elevated by the plunger 71 the less the value of the mass characteristic,

lineages and the less the pins are elevated, the greater such value.

After the mass characteristic of a lift has been detected and indicated, it is advanced to the first of the series of fourteen storage stations at which the lifts are stored face to face in stacks shown particularly in Figs. 2, 3 and These stations are arranged in a circular series around. the periphery of the cover plate 13, which is provided with a series of openings to permit the lifts to be forced upwardly from the compartments into a series of lift holders above the openings. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, each lift holder consists of a plate 78 provided with acentral lift-shaped opening corresponding to the shape of the opening in the plate 13 and the compartments in the carrier 1. The plate carries five vertical rods 79 arranged to hold the lifts in a stack, two of the rods engaging the breastof the lifts, two the lateral edges of the lifts, and one the back of the lifts. The plate 78 also carries three bent spring tongues 80 which permit the lifts to be forced upward into the holder but prevent. the lifts from dropping down out of the holder. The top edges of each plate 78 are rabbcted as at 81 (Fig. 1) and are thus 11 ermittcd to slide beneath shoulders 82 formed on the sides of triangular blocks 83 (Fig. 2) secured to the plate 13 between each pair of holders. This construction permits the ready removal and insertion of the lift holders when changed for variations in size of the lifts being graded. An adjustable pin 85 (Fig. 3) serves as a gage in positioning the holders on the machine.

In the illustrated embodiment of the in veution the lifts found to have the greatest mass are stacked face to .face in the holder at the first storage station, marked No. I on Fig. 2, and the lifts found to have the least mass are stacked in the last storage station, marked No. Xl V on Fig. The intermediate stations store other stacks of lifts, each stack comprising lifts having a lesser mass as the series of stationsprogresses from No. l toward No. XIV. More or less stations can, of course, be provided, but it is believed that fourteen are a sullicient number in ordinary 'nractice.

The lifts are transferred from the compartments in the carrier 1 to the lift-holders by a selecting or slacking mechanism comprising a series of plungers 85 (Fig. 3) carried by the plate 5, each plui'iger being located directly beneath a lift-holder. The plungers 85 which, because of their function may be termed lift selectors or lift stackers, work through the openings 46 in the lift carrying compartments so as to engage the lower faces of the lifts and force them upwardly between the springs 80 and into the holders. Each plunger is mounted for reciprocation in the plate 5, and its lower end is connected, through a. link 86, to a yoked lever 87 (Fig. 3 and dotted lines Fig. 5') the arms of which are pivoted on a rod 88 carried by a bracket 89 depending from the plate 5. The arms of the yoked lever loosely embrace the outer end of a lever 90 pivoted on the rod 88. The other end of the lever 10 is formed as a cylinder 01 engaged in an annular groove formed in a collar 02 secured to the actuator I"). The plunger is maintained normally depressed by a spring 02-) which ismounted in a chamber in the plunger and interposed between a pin -1 carried by the plate and passed through opposedsl'ots in the plunger, and a plug 95 threaded into the lower end of the chamber. As the 'arrier 1 rotates the fourteen levers 90 are rocked on the brackets 80 each time that the actuator 3 is depressed, but, since the arms of the yoked levers 87 loosely embrace the outer ends of the levers 00, the plungers are normally not actuated.

The operation of the plunger-s is controlled by the indicators so that each lift is deposited only in its appropriate holder. To this end the plate carries a. series of pivoted levers 96 (Figs. 3 and 5) each of which is normally held pressed against a stop pin 97 by a spring 08. The end of each of the levers is formed as a cam 00 which engages a roll 100 carried on the upper end of a lever 101 pivoted on the bracket 80. A spring 102 in a chamber formed in the bracket 89 and arranged to engage the lever 101. serves to hold the roll 100 pressed against the cam 99. The lower end of the lever 101 is formed as a yoke 103, the arms of which embrace the arms of the yoked lever 87. The arms of the yoke 108 carry a pin 104C upon which is mounted a. block 105 arranged to be reciprocated in slots 100 formed in'the arms of the yoked lever 87. The levers 90 each carry a lug 107 (Figs. 3 and 5) arranged in the path of the indicator pins 69. The height of these lugs varies, the shortest lug being located on the lever for the storage station No. l. The lugs on the levers for the other storage stations progressively increase in height from. station No. I to station No. XIV. It will be remembered that the height to which the pins 00 are raised above the plate .5 indi cates the mass characteristic of the lift associated with any particular pin. The heights of the lugs 107 are such that. in the rotation of the carrier 1. a pin 69 strikes a lug only when the lift associated with the pin is located beneath its appropriate holder and should, therefore. be deposited therein. \Vhen a pin (55) strikes a lug 107 the lever which *arries the lug is swung about its pivot, against the force of its spring 98,

which causes the cam surface 99 to force the roll 100 on the lever 101 outward and the lower yoked end of the said lever inward. This movement of the lever 101 moves the block 105 in the slots 100 and places it upon av ledge formed on the outer end of the lever 00. The plunger 8.3 is thus operatively connected to the lever 00. so that, when the actuator 23 is again depressed. the plunger is advanced through the opening l-( in its asso ciated com mrtmcnt and the lift is removed therefrom and deposited in the holder. During the actuation of the plunger H5 the pin 101 travels in slots 10!). formed in the yoke 1023, and struck about the pivotal axis of the lever 00 as a center. It will be obvious that with the construction and arrangement described, a number of lifts which have passed the mass detecting stations may be deposited simultaneously in different holders in the event that the mass of each is different. Such result is illustrated in Fig. 5, where the lifts atstorage stations Nos. II, VI and XII are being deposited in their respective holders.

As heretofore explained, the shortest lug is located at storage station No. I so that any pin which is positioned to actuate selector No. I would also be in position to actuate all the other sehctors. In order to move each pin out of operative or indicating position after it has opcratively connected a selector to the. actuator, and thus prevent the unnecessary operation of other selectors each bracket carries a vertical rod 110 (Fig. 3) which operates through a hole 111 formed in the plate 5. The rod. 110 carries a horizontal pin 112 which projects through, and is movable in. a vertical slot 113 formed in the bracket 80. The projecting end of the pin 112 is embraced by the forked end cft' a lever 111v pivoted on the bracket. The lever 114 is connected, through a. link 115,

to one of the arms of the yoked lever 87.

through the connections described the rod 110 is projected through the hole 111 after the lever 00 has been turned about its pivot. which movement exposes the hole 111 and operativcly connects the mechanism for operating the selector to the actuator. \Vhen the pin 110 is projected through the hole in the plate 5 it engages and raises the indicator (it) out of range of the succeeding lugs 107.

The elevated pins (30 are successively dcpresscd to bring them into position to be operated on by the plunger 71, after they have passed storage station No. XIV, by a wedge shaped block 110 depending from the plate 13 (see dotted lines in Fig. 2 and the dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 3).

ln order to drive the machine from some suitable source of power the cam shaft, 30 carries a bevel gear 117 (Fig. (3) which meshes with a similar gear 118 secured to one end of a short shaft 119, journaled in a bracket 1'20 carried by the base plate 22. A bevel gear 121 secured to the other end of the shaft 115) meshes with a bevel gear 122 secured to a. vertical shaft 123 journaled at one end inv the bracket 120 and at the other end in a bracket 124- (l igs. 1 and 3) secured to the plate 13. The shaft 123 is driven from a shaft 125, journaled at one end in the bracket 121 and at the other end in a bracket 126 secured to the plate 13, through bevel gears 127 secured to the ends of the shafts 123 and 125. The shaft 125 carries a worm gear 128 (Figs. 2 and which is driven by a worm 129 on a driving shaft 130 journaled in the bracket 126 and provided With fast and loose pulleys 131 and 132.

It will be understood from the foregoing that no matter what the relative original characteristics of the pieces being operated upon may be, that is, whether or not they all have the same original thickness, or the same original density, or are all different in these two factors, they will be graded by the mechanisms described substantially in accordance with mass or mass per unit of area. Those skilled in the art of shoe making are aware that individually any lot of pieces of shoe stock will vary quite widely in both of these characteristics, but should it so happen that all the pieces of the lot are originally alike in one of these characteristics, either thickness or density, still. the machine will grade the pieces in accordance with mass because, always, the mass characteristic, as herein defined, detected and indi-ated by the machine will vary from the original thickness. It will be obvious, therefore, that the machine when constructed and operated as hereinbefore described cannot be used to caliper the pieces of shoe stock supplied to it for thickness alone. It will be equally obvious that the machine can be employed as a pure calipering medium by substituting, for the illustrated compressing spring 58, a spring so weak that it would fail to cause the plunger 45 to make an impression on any piece of shoe stock supplied to it.

Although, for ease of explanation, the foregoing description has been confined to the problem of sorting heel lifts, in the following claims the term pieces of shoe stock is not to be understood as limiting the scope of the claims, where the context otherwise permits, to a machine for operating on integral heel lifts alone, as it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that a machine having the features and combinations of parts hereinbefore described is well adapted to successfully operate on all pieces of shoe stock where a determination of a characteristic of the piece is valuable, such, for example, as soles or as the small pieces of leather that are used in producing the compound lifts in what is known as the llaverhill heel.

It will be clear to those skilled in this class of machines, and with the general objects of the present invention in view, that changes may be made in the details of structure, the described and illustrated embodiment thereof being intended as an exploitation of its underlying essentials, the features whereof are definitely stated in their true scope in the claims herewith.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A machine for grading pieces of shoe bottoming stock, having, in combination, means for determining a mass characteristic of a piece, and means for utilizing such determination to store said piece with others having a mass characteristic of like value.

A machine for grading pieces of shoe bottoming stock, having, in combination, means for detecting a mass characteristic of a. piece, and means for indicating the mass clniractcristic thus detected.

3. A machine for grading pieces of shoe bottoming stock, lniving, in combination, means for detecting the individual mass clmracteristics of a quantity of pieces, and means for sorting the pieces acted on in accordance with their detected mass charactcristics.

-l-. A machine for grading pieces of shoe bottoming stock, luiving, in combination, means for detecting the individual mass cl'iaracteristics of a quantity of pieces, means for indicatitng the detected mass characteristics, and means for utilizing such indications to sort the pieces.

5. A. machine for sorting pieces of shoe stock, having, in combination, means for detecting the individual mass cha 'actc-ristics or a quantity of pieces, and means for thereafter storing the pieces face to face in stacks, each stack being composed of pieces having the same mass characteristic.

(3. A machine for sorting pieces of shoe stock, having, in combimition, means for detecting the individual mass cha 'acteristic of a quantity of pieces. means for indicating the detected mass chariurtcristic of each piece, a series of selectors, and means controlled by the indicating means for operating a single selector in the series to store a single piece.

7. A machine for sorting pieces of shoe stock, having, in combination, means for detecting the individual mass clniractcristics of a quantity of pieces, means for indicating the mass characteristic of each piece, a series of selectors for storing the pieces, and means controlled by the indicating means for operating the selectors to store the pieces face to face in separate stacks each stack being composed of pieces of the same mass cha ra eteri sti c.

8. A machine for sorting pieces of shoe stock, having, in eon'lbination, a series of indicators to indicate the individual mass characteristics of a quantity of pieces, a series of selectors for storing the pieces, a common actuator for said indicators and selectors, said selectors being normally disconnected from said actuator, and means operated by the indicator for operatively connecting the selector to the actuator.

9. A machine for sorting pieces of shoe stock, having, in combination, a series of indicators to indicate the individual mass characteristics of a quantity of pieces, a series of selectors tor storing the pieces, a common actuator for said indicators and selectors, said selectors being normally disconnected from said actuator and means operated by the indicator for operatively conmeeting the selector to the actuator, and means for voiding the effectiveness of an indicator after it has once operatively connected a selector to the actuator.

10. A machine for grading pieces of shoe bottomingstock, having, in combination, means for detecting the individual mass characteristics of a quantity of pieces, one at a time, and means adapted to sort, in accordance with their detected mass characteristics, a plurality of pieces simultaneously.

11. A machine for sorting pieces of shoe stock, having, in combination, a series of indicators, devices for actuating the indicators, one at a time, to indicate the individual mass characteristics of a quantity of pieces, a series of normallv inactive selectors for storing the pieces, means for operating said selectors, and means operated by the indicators for opcratively connecting the selectors to said operating means. A

12. A machine for sorting pieces of shoe stock, having, in combination, means for detecting the individual mass characteristics of a quantity of pieces, means for indicating the value of said characteristic for each piece, a series of selectors for storing the pieces, means controlled by the indicating means for operating a selector to store a piece, and means for voiding the indication of the indicating means after it has once controlled the operation of the selector.

13. A machine for sorting pieces of shoe stock. having, in con'ibination, means for detecting the individual mass characteristics of a quantity of pieces, means for indicating the value of said characteristic for each piece, a series of selectors for storing the pieces, means controlled by the indicating means for operating a selector to store a piece, means for voiding the indication of the indicating means after it has once controlled the operation ol the selector, and means for pre 'iaring the indicating means for indicating the mass characteristic of another piece.

14. A machine for sorting pieces of shoe stock, having, in combination, an actuator, a piece stacker, a cam. a normally broken connection between the actuator and the stacker, and means operated by the cam for making the connection between the actuator and stacker whereby the stacker is operated by the actuator.

15. A machine for sorting pieces of shoe stock, having, in combination, an actuator. a stacker, a normally inactive cam, a normally broken connection between the actuator and the stacker, means operated by the cam for making the connection between the actuator and. the stacker whereby the stacker is operated by the actuator, and means for aetuatim the cam.

lo. A machine for sorting pieces of shoe stock, having, in combination, a lever pro vided with a ledge, an actuator for oscillating the lever, a stacker, a pivoted support therefor constructed to loosely embrace the ledge on the oscillating lever, a block arranged to slide upon the pivoted support, and means for operatively connecting the block and ledge whereby the stacker is actuated by the actuator.

17. A machine for sorting pieces of shoe stock, having. in combination, a lever provided with a ledge, an actuator for oscillating the lever, a stacker. a pivoted support therefor constructed to loosely embrace the ledge on the lever, a block arranged to slide on the pivoted support, a cam, connections from the cam to the block, and means for operating the cam to connect the block with the ledge whereby the stacker is actuated by the actuator.

18. A machine for sorting lifts, soles and like articles, having, in combination, a rotary carrier having means at its periphery for supporting a series of articles to be operated upon, means for rotating said carrier" step by step, a. series of sorting stations adjacent the path of travel of said supporting means, a holder at each of said stations for receiving the articles, an initial station at the beginning of said series, devices at said initial station for detecting and indicating a characteristic of the articles on said supporting means as they are fed to said sorting stations, a series of stackers one for each holder, means for operatng said stackers to.

push the articles into the diti'erent holders in accordance with their indicated characteristics, and means for retaining the stacks of articles in their holders.

19. A machine for sorting lifts, soles and like articles, having, in. com iination. a receptacle for receiving the article. devices for detecting a characteristic oi the article while in said receptacle, a holder for receiving the article, means for moving the article while in said receptacle from said devices to said holder, means for pushing the article up wardly out of said receptacle and into said holder, and means for preventing the return of said article to the receptacle.

20. A machine for sorting lifts, soles and like articles, having, in combination, a rotary carrier for said articles, means for rotating said carrier step-by-step, an upper frame member for said carrier, holders for the articles sustained by said member, a frame plate below said carrier, and means carried by said lower frame member for detecting and indicating a characteristic of the articles and thereafter stacking them in said holders in accordance with their indiated characteristics.

21. A machine for sorting lifts, soles and like article's, having, in combination, a rotary carrier for said articles, means for rotating said carrier step-by-step, an upper frame member for said carrier, holders for the articles sustained by said member, a frame member below said carrier, devices carried at one station on said lower frame member for detecting and indicating a characteristic of the articles, devices carried at other stations on said lower frame member for stacking the articles in said holders in accordance with their like indicated characteristic, and a common actuator for said devices.

22. A sorting-machine having, in combination, means for measuring a characteristic of a quantity of articles, means for indicating the measurement of each article, a series of selectors, and means, controlled by the indicatingmeans, for operating a single selector in the series to store a single article.

23. A sorting-machine having, in combination, means for measuring a characteristic of a. quantity of articles, means for indicating the measurement of each article, a series of selectors for storing the articles, and means, controlled by the indicating means, for operating the selectors to store the articles in stacked relation, each stack being composed of articles of the same measurement.

24. A sorting-machine having, in combination, a series of indicators to indicate corresponding measurements of a quantity of articles, a series of selectors for storing the articles, a common actuator for said indicators and selectors, said selectors being normally disconnected from said actuator, and means, operated by the indicator, for operatively connecting a selector to the actuator.

25. A sorting-machine having, in combination, .aseries of indicators to indicate corresponding measurements of a quantity of articles, a series of selectors for storing the articles, a common actuator for said indicators and selectors, said selectors being nor mally disconnected from said actuator, means operated by the indicator, for operatively connecting the selector to the actuator, and means for moving each indicator out of indicating position after it has once operatively connected a selector to the actu ator.

26. A sorting-machine having, in combination, a rotary carrier for a series of articles; means for measuring successively the articles thereon; indicators supported by the carrier and associated with the res ective articles, said indicators being set y the measuring-means; a series of plungers for expelling articles from the carrier at different points; and actuating mechanism for the respective plungers, responsive selectively to the indicators.

27. A machine for sorting pieces of shoe stock, having, in combination, means for detecting a characteristic of the pieces, means for indicating the degree of said characteristic in each piece, a series of selectors, and means, controlled by the indicating means, for operating a single selector in the series to store each single piece.

28. A machine for sorting pieces of shoe stock in accordance with mass, having, in combination, means for subjecting a quantity of pieces in succession to compression under a substantially uniform pressure, devices for indicating the thickness of each piece While compressed adapted to be operated by the movement of said compressing means but unconnected therewith, and means controlled by said indicating devices for sorting the pieces.

29. A machine for sorting pieces of shoe stock in accordance with mass, having, in combination, a series of receptacles for the pieces, a single means for engaging and subjecting each piece separately and in succession to compression under a substantially uniform pressure to detect its mass characteristic, means for feeding said receptacles away from said compressing means immediately said mass characteristic has been detected, and means for storing together all pieces having a like mass characteristic.

30. A machine for sorting pieces of shoe stock in accordance with mass, having, in combination, a single means for engaging and subjecting a quantity of pieces in succession to compression under a substantially uniform pressure, a device associated with each piece for indicating its thickness while compressed adapted to be operated by said compressing means, means for advancing said pieces and indicators into position to be operated on by said compressing means, and means controlled by said indicating devices for sorting the pieces.

31. A machine for sorting pieces of shoe stock in accordance with mass, having, in combination, means for subjecting a quantity of pieces in succession to compression under a substantially uniform pressure over a portion only of their areas, mechanism for indicating the thickness of each piece while compressed, and means controlled by said indicating mechanism for sorting said pieces.

'32. A machine for sorting pieces of shoe stock in accordance with mass,'hav1ng, 1n

a combination, a single means for subjecting a quantity of pieces separately and in successionto compression under a substantially uniform pressure, and mechanism for indicating the thickness of each piece while compressed, said means embodying devices whereby the pressure on each iece is relieved after the i di ti mac anism has been operated. x

33. A machine for sortingpieces of shoe stock in accordance with mass, having, in.

combination, a single plunger for direct contact with theindividual pieces separately and in succession, means for causing said plunger to compress each piece under a substantially uniform pressure, and meansfor indicating the thickness of each piece while compressed.

34:. A machine for grading leather lifts which are hetero eneous asto thickness and density, in accor ance with mass, having, in combination, a plunger of less area than the area of the lifts to be graded, an opposed pressure member, means for feedin lifts in mentalities; a blank-engaging device arranged to engage each blank in said series at a point in the series remote from the point of operation of said instrumentalities; mechanism for actuating said instrumentalities; a series of indicators arranged to cooperate successively with said actuating mechanism to control its operation, said indicators being also cooperative successively with said blank-engaging device and being set thereby; and means for advancing the indicators from cooperative relation withthe blank-enga 'ng device to cooperate relatively with sai mechanism at the same rate as that of the advance of the blanks in the feed-movement.

36. A sorting-machine having, in combination, a series of indicators, devices for actuatmg the indicators, successively, to indicate a corresponding measurement of a quantity of articles, a series of normally inactive selectors for storing the pieces, means V for operating said selectors, and means, op-

erated by. theindicators, for operatively connecting the selectors to the selector-operatmg means. 37. A sortm machinehavmg, .m comb1- nation, means or determimng a corresponding measurement of a quantity of articles,

means for indicating such measurement with respect to each article, a series of selectors for storing'the articles, means controlled by the indlcating means, for operating a selector to store an article, and means for restoring the indicating means to nonindicating position after, it has controlled the operationof a selector.

38. A machine for grading pieces of shoebottoming stock in accordance with mass, having, in combination, means for subjectin the pieces to compression suficient to I've uce them all to a substantially uniform density and for measuring their respective thicknesses when so compressed; and means for dividing the pieces into grades'in accordance with such measurement.

Witnesses:

a G. Denna,

E. Mimi.

Gnome 

